Journalists face violence, threats ahead of Serbia's October
The Committee to Protect Journalists warns of escalating attacks, police violence, and threats against reporters covering Serbia's October parliamentary
Journalists in Serbia face a surge of physical attacks, threats, and police obstruction as the country prepares for parliamentary elections on October 25. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warns that the risks have intensified during the campaign period, with authorities failing to hold perpetrators accountable.
A joint mission to Belgrade in March, documented in a July report by partners of the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform, found escalating police violence, smear campaigns by public officials, and persistent impunity. CPJ's Europe representative, Attila Mong, stated that the mission exposed an alarming reality. "Journalists face violence in the streets, threats against their families, and relentless efforts to discredit their work, often led by senior government officials," Mong said.
A climate of intensifying pressure
Pressure on independent media has grown since President Aleksandar Vučić's Serbian Progressive Party came to power in 2012. Critics often accuse Vučić of emulating Hungary's former leader Viktor Orbán by seeking to build an authoritarian state with total media control. CPJ reports that a "witch-hunt" against critical journalists has escalated into assaults, threats, and spyware attacks.
This trend peaked during anti-corruption protests in late 2024. By September 2025, journalists reported that police deliberately beat, detained, and obstructed them, especially when documenting alleged police violence against protesters. The unresolved 1999 murder of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija symbolizes the impunity for crimes against the press. His daughter, Jelena Ćuruvija, told CPJ in May that the lack of accountability sends a clear message that reporting can be dangerous.
Recent attacks and obstruction
CPJ has verified a series of incidents since May 2026. They include physical assaults, police detention, and obstruction of journalists at political events.
| Date | Incident | Journalists/Media Involved |
|---|---|---|
| June 17 | Unidentified man forcibly took a phone from a journalist filming outside parliament. | Veran Matić |
| June 27 | Police detained photojournalists covering a ruling party gathering in Belgrade. | Gavrilo Andrić, Nađa Gavrilović, Marija Stojnić |
| August 24 | Unidentified men pushed journalists out of a public event and grabbed a camera lens. | Jovana Ristić (Glas Šumadije), Nenad Simović (LiKVidno) |
| August 29 | A police officer attacked a journalist and seized his phone at a party gathering; a cameraman was hit with a stone. | Marko Miletić (Mašina); cameraman for RTS |
Threats extending to families
Intimidation now extends to journalists' families. Overnight on June 20, unidentified individuals vandalized the car of David Gruhonjić, the son of journalist and professor Dinko Gruhonjić. Media freedom groups linked the attack to renewed smear campaigns against Dinko Gruhonjić.
In July, N1 TV's news director Branislav Šovljanski and his family received violent threats in online comments. Press freedom advocate Veran Matić told reporters in August that he helped six Serbian journalists relocate abroad due to security concerns. Most had endured years of death threats and organized intimidation with no consequences for the perpetrators.
CPJ calls on Serbian authorities to publicly instruct police to protect journalists, ensure rapid and impartial investigations, and condemn violence unequivocally. It urges Serbia's European partners to raise attacks directly with authorities, press for accountability, and publicly condemn official rhetoric that puts journalists at risk.
